For those that follow my blog, you know I believe OT has the greatest impact in the home health setting. With the majority of falls occurring in the home, falls prevention is no exception. Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to reduce a patient’s risk for a fall. Occupational therapists are trained to assess and recommend fall prevention strategies including physical, environmental, and behavioral. OTs are observant and creative, with the skills and clinical experience to recommend smart and safe solutions for patients.
The Occupational Therapy Toolkit supports this important work by including information specific to falls prevention including therapist resources and patient education handouts. All patient handouts in the OT Toolkit are meant to be copied and shared with patients.
“Don’t Let a Fall Get You Down – Booklet”
This comprehensive resource includes:
- Risk Factors
- Staying Active
- Creating a Safe Home
- Safety Away from Home
- Feet, Footwear and Clothing
- Managing Health
- Medications
- Effects of a Fall
- What to do if You Fall
“Don’t Let a Fall Get You Down – Post Fall Survey”
This one page survey can help a patient pinpoint what contributed to a fall and should be reviewed by caregivers and the entire health care team.
“Home Safety and Performance Assessment”
A therapist resource, this assessment includes a comprehensive room-by-room checklist of the patient’s environment and ability to navigate their space. For example, in the bedroom, the checklist includes lighting, bed height, ability to safely transfer and tripping hazards. This document is meant to be completed with the patient and caregivers, and then the completed assessment, with recommendations, provides a great resource for patients and their caregivers.
“Fall Triggers and Tips to Prevent Falls”
This therapist resource covers nine common falls triggers, like changing direction or turning, and includes both examples and tips to prevent falls in each situation.
And of course the rest of the Occupational Therapy Toolkit includes dozens of other resources that will help your patient stay safe including handouts on low vision, getting up and down from the floor, strengthening and balance exercises, and medication management. So, as you see your OT patients during Falls Prevention Month bring some extra awareness to this important prevention activity.
